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Habitat differentiation, hybridization and gene flow patterns in mixed populations of diploid and autotetraploid Dactylorhiza maculata s.l. (Orchidaceae)

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An Erratum to this article was published on 09 January 2008

Abstract

Detailed ecological, morphological and molecular analyses were performed in mixed populations of diploid and autotetraploid Dactylorhiza maculata s.l. in Scandinavia. Comparisons were made with pure populations of either diploid ssp. fuchsii or tetraploid ssp. maculata. It was shown that mixed populations are the result of secondary contact between ssp. fuchsii and ssp. maculata. No patterns of recent and local autopolyploidization were found. Morphology and nuclear DNA markers (internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA) showed that diploids and tetraploids from mixed populations have similar levels of differentiation to diploids and tetraploids from pure populations. Vegetation analyses, as well as analyses of environmental variables, revealed that diploid and tetraploid individuals in mixed populations are ecologically well differentiated on a microhabitat level. Diploids and tetraploids in pure populations have wider ecological amplitudes than they do in mixed populations. Triploid hybrids grew in intermediate microhabitats between diploids and tetraploids in the mixed populations. Plastid DNA markers indicated that both diploids and tetraploids may act as the maternal parent. Based on morphology and nuclear markers triploids are more similar to tetraploids than to diploids. There were indications of introgressive gene flow between ploidy levels. Plastid markers indicated that gene flow from diploid to tetraploid level is most common, but nuclear markers suggested that gene flow in opposite direction also may occur. Similar patterns of differentiation and gene flow appeared in localities that represented contrasting biogeographic regions. Disturbance and topography may explain why hybridization was slightly more common and the differentiation patterns somewhat less clear in the Scandinavian mountains than in the coastal lowland.

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Acknowledgements

I thank Mikael Hedrén for constructive discussions and technical support, Ingela Ståhlberg for assistance in the field and Louise Hathaway for correcting and improving the language. I also thank two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. Financial support was given by Anna och Svante Murbecks minnesfond and Lunds botaniska förening.

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  1. Plant Ecology and Systematics, Department of Ecology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden

    David Ståhlberg

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Correspondence to David Ståhlberg.

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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10682-007-9241-1

Appendices

Appendices

Appendix 1 Mean cover of species associated to quadrates with diploid, triploid or tetraploid Dactylorhiza maculata s.l. A 0-5 graded Hult-Sernander-Du Rietz scale (Du Rietz 1921) was used
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Appendix 2 Population means of morphological characters (see Table 1); standard deviations (where appropriate) in italics
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Appendix 3 Characterization of plastid haplotypes identified in the present study by means of the primer pairs described in Table 2
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Ståhlberg, D. Habitat differentiation, hybridization and gene flow patterns in mixed populations of diploid and autotetraploid Dactylorhiza maculata s.l. (Orchidaceae). Evol Ecol 23, 295–328 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-007-9228-y

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